Dispensing cap for a container

ABSTRACT

A dispensing cap for a container includes a body portion and an integrally formed chamber for holding an additive substance. An inner wall integrally formed with the body portion defines the chamber whose open end is sealed by a chamber closure member. The chamber closure member being configured for cooperating with the inner wall and seal the chamber, wherein the body portion, the closed top end, the plunger, and the inner wall are integrally formed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/513,849, filed Oct. 14, 2014, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/061,029, filed Oct.23, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/363,953, filed Feb. 1, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,613,372 issued onDec. 24, 2013, which claims benefit of the priority to U.S. provisionalpatent application No. 61/438,440, filed on Feb. 1, 2011 under 35 U.S.C.§ 119(e), the contents of which are each incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to a container closure lid andmore particularly to an attachable container lid having a compartmentfor holding, storing and dispensing an additive substance.

BACKGROUND

Containers of various designs for separately holding additive substancesuntil they are ready to be mixed with a solvent fluid are known.However, many are limited in their capacity to hold different number ofcomponent substances and impractical in configuration for efficientmanufacturing. Thus, there is a need for improved lid for a container.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a dispensing capfor a container comprises a generally cylindrically-shaped body portionhaving a closed top end and an open bottom end, the closed top end beingintegrally formed with the body portion and comprising a diaphragmportion. A generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall axially extendsfrom the closed top end towards the open bottom end of the body portionand defines a chamber for holding an additive substance, wherein thechamber has an opening towards the open bottom end of the body portion.The body portion and the inner wall define a receptacle therebetween forreceiving a mouth of the container from the open bottom end of the bodyportion and sealing the mouth of the container. A plunger axiallyextends from the diaphragm portion towards the opening of the chamber,wherein the diaphragm and the plunger have a closed position and an openposition. A chamber closure member for sealing the chamber's opening isattached to the plunger, wherein the chamber closure member isconfigured for cooperating with the inner wall and seal the chamber whenthe diaphragm and the plunger are in the closed position. The bodyportion, the closed top end and the inner wall are integrally formed.

A dispensing cap for a container according to another embodiment isdisclosed. The dispensing cap comprises: a generallycylindrically-shaped body portion having a closed top end and an openbottom end, the closed top end comprising a diaphragm portion; agenerally cylindrically-shaped inner wall axially extending from theclosed top end towards the open bottom end of the body portion anddefining a chamber for holding an additive substance, wherein thechamber has an opening towards the open bottom end of the body portion;the body portion and the inner wall defining a receptacle therebetweenfor receiving a mouth of the container from the open bottom end of thebody portion and sealing the mouth of the container; a plunger axiallyextending from the diaphragm portion towards the opening of the chamber,wherein the diaphragm and the plunger have a closed position and an openposition; and a chamber closure member for sealing the chamber's openingattached to the plunger, wherein the chamber closure member is adisc-like structure having a sealing surface along its periphery and theinner wall has a corresponding sealing surface that cooperates with thesealing surface of the chamber closure member for sealing the chamberwhen the diaphragm and the plunger are in the closed position, whereinthe chamber closure member has a top side that faces the closed top endof the body portion and a bottom side that faces away from the chamber,and further wherein the chamber closure member is provided with one ormore stress-relieving depressions on the top side, thereby when anactivating force is applied to the diaphragm and the plunger is beingmoved from the closed position to the open position, the one or morestress-relieving depressions enable the chamber closure member toelastically collapse and facilitate unsealing of the chamber closuremember from the inner wall, wherein the one or more stress-relievingdepressions comprise a first annular depression extendingcircumferentially along a periphery of the chamber closure member,wherein the body portion, the closed top end, the plunger, and the innerwall are integrally formed.

A dispensing cap for a container according to another embodiment is alsodisclosed. The dispensing cap comprises: a generallycylindrically-shaped body portion having a closed top end and an openbottom end, the closed top end comprising a diaphragm portion; agenerally cylindrically-shaped inner wall axially extending from theclosed top end towards the open bottom end of the body portion anddefining a chamber for holding an additive substance, wherein thechamber has an opening towards the open bottom end of the body portion;the body portion and the inner wall defining a receptacle therebetweenfor receiving a mouth of the container from the open bottom end of thebody portion and sealing the mouth of the container; a plunger axiallyextending from the diaphragm portion towards the opening of the chamber,wherein the diaphragm and the plunger have a closed position and an openposition; and a chamber closure member for sealing the chamber's openingattached to the plunger, wherein the chamber closure member is adisc-like structure having a sealing surface along its periphery and theinner wall has a corresponding sealing surface that cooperates with thesealing surface of the chamber closure member for sealing the chamberwhen the diaphragm and the plunger are in the closed position, whereinthe chamber closure member has a top side that faces the closed top endof the body portion and a bottom side that faces away from the chamber,and further wherein the chamber closure member is provided with astress-relieving depression on the top side, thereby when an activatingforce is applied to the diaphragm and the plunger is being moved fromthe closed position to the open position, the one or morestress-relieving depressions enable the chamber closure member toelastically collapse and facilitate unsealing of the chamber closuremember from the inner wall, wherein the stress-relieving depressioncomprises an annular depression extending circumferentially along aperiphery of the chamber closure member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will bemore fully disclosed in the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment of the invention, which is to be consideredtogether with the accompanying drawings wherein like numbers refer tolike parts. All drawing figures are schematic and are not intended toshow true dimensions or true dimensional relationship among thestructures.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a dispensing cap according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the dispensing cap of FIG. 1 incross-section.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another dispensing cap according toanother embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an cross-sectional view of the dispensing cap of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the dispensing cap of FIG. 3 holdinga quantity of an additive substance in its chamber and connected to acontainer.

FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional view of the dispensing cap and thecontainer of FIG. 5 in which the flip-top lid of the dispensing cap isin open position.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the dispensing cap and the containerof FIG. 6 in which the chamber of the dispensing cap is unsealed and theadditive substance from the chamber is being dispensed.

FIG. 8 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the area A shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a chamber closure member according to anembodiment.

FIG. 10 is a top view of the chamber closure member of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber closure member of FIGS.9 and 10.

FIG. 12 is a detailed view of the sealing surfaces of the chamberclosure member of FIGS. 9 and 10 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a detailed view of the sealing surfaces of the chamberclosure member of FIG. 9 cooperating with the inner wall of thedispensing cap and sealing the chamber.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a chamber closure member according toanother embodiment showing the top side of the chamber closure member.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the top side of the chamber closure member ofFIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the chamber closure member of FIG. 14showing the bottom side of the chamber closure member.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber closure member of FIGS.14, 15, and 16 where the section is taken through the line C-C shown inFIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is an isometric view of a chamber closure member according toanother embodiment showing the top side of the chamber closure member.

FIG. 19 is a plan view of the top side of the chamber closure member ofFIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber closure member of FIG.18.

FIG. 21 is an isometric view of the chamber closure member of FIG. 18showing the bottom side of the chamber closure member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure describes a new design for a single chamber dispensingcap for a container that is configured for holding an additive substancethat can dispense the additive substance into the container whendesired. FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of such a dispensing cap 10.The dispensing cap 10 has a generally cylindrical body 11 that forms anouter wall of the cap structure, a closed top end 19 a and an openbottom end. The dispensing cap 10 is configured to engage and fit overan opening of a container such as a beverage bottle. The body 11 can beconfigured and adapted to engage the opening of a container by snapfitting manner or be threaded on. As shown in FIG. 2, the body 11 and aninner wall 13 form a container receptacle 12 that is open on the bottomside of the dispensing cap 10. The container receptacle 12 allows thecap 10 to receive a mouth of a container (not shown). The containerreceptacle 12 is configured with a screw threading 30 along the insidesurface of the body 11. The screw threading 30 cooperates with thecorresponding screw threading on the mouth of the container for securingthe dispensing cap 10 thereon and seal the contents of the container,which is generally a liquid.

The inner wall 13 axially extends from the closed top end of thedispensing cap 10 toward the open bottom end of the dispensing cap anddefine a chamber 50 for holding an additive substance. The dispensingcap 10 is generally used as a closure for a container, such as a bottle,that holds a liquid beverage (e.g. water, juice, etc.).

The chamber 50 is sealed by a chamber closure member 60. The chamberclosure member 60 forms a liquid-tight seal so that the substance heldinside the chamber 50 is kept separate from the liquid beverage in thecontainer. This allows the dispensing cap 10 to be pre-filled with adesired substance and installed onto the container without coming incontact with or being concerned with the substance held inside thedispensing cap 10.

The chamber closure member 60 is connected to a plunger 22. The plunger22 is configured to be in one of two positions, an open position(FIG. 1) and an unsealed position (FIG. 2). When the dispensing cap 10is threaded onto the mouth of a container (not shown), pressing down onthe plunger 22 from the top of the dispensing cap 10 forces the plunger22 to push the chamber closure member 60 downward further into thecontainer and unseal the chamber 50. This allows the contents of thechamber 50 to fall into the container and mix with the liquid content ofthe bottle.

The plunger 22 is pushed into its open position by a person pushing theflexible diaphragm 21 of the dispensing cap downward. The flexiblediaphragm 21 is preferably configured to snap into the open positionwhen pressed down and thus maintain the open position even when theperson stops pushing down on the diaphragm 21.

According to an embodiment, the body 11, the closed top end 19 a, theplunger 22, and the inner wall 13 are integrally formed in a one-piececonstruction.

In another embodiment, the dispensing cap 10 is configured with aflip-top lid 17. The flip-top lid 17 can prevent accidental activationof the plunger 22. This allows the contents of the dispensing cap 10 tobe released at the time of ingestion of the contents of the container.The flip-top lid 17 also can be integrally formed with the body 11, theclosed top end 19 a and the inner wall 13.

Referring to FIG. 3-13, a dispensing cap 100 for a container accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Thedispensing cap 100 comprises a generally cylindrically-shaped bodyportion 111 having a closed top end 119 a and an open bottom end 119 b.The closed top end 119 a is integrally formed with the body portion 111and includes a diaphragm portion 121 that can be pressed downward (i.e.the direction towards the open bottom end 119 b as shown) to activatethe dispensing cap 100 and dispense the contents of the cap. Thedispensing cap 100 is preferably molded from a suitable plastic orpolymer material and the body portion 111, the closed top end 119 a, theplunger 122, and the inner wall 113 are integrally formed by beingmolded in one-piece construction. This allows for simpler product designand more cost efficient manufacturing. The integrally formedconstruction also enables lower cost assembly of the dispensing capbecause only two pieces, the chamber closure member 160 and the rest ofthe structure, need to be assembled.

As shown in FIG. 4, a generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall 113axially extends from the closed top end 119 a of the body portion 111towards the open bottom end 119 b of the body portion and defines achamber 150 for holding an additive substance. As used herein, axiallyextending means extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinalaxis L of the dispensing cap 100.

Because of the integrally molded structure of the body portion 111, theclosed top end 119 a, and the inner wall 113, the diaphragm portion 121forms the top of the chamber 150 that is closed and the chamber 150 hasa sealable opening towards the open bottom end of the body portion 111.

The body portion 111 and the inner wall 113 defining a receptacle 112therebetween for receiving a mouth of the container from the open bottomend 119 b of the body portion and sealing the mouth of the container.Inside the chamber 150 is provided a plunger 122 axially extending fromthe diaphragm portion 121 towards the opening of the chamber 150,wherein the diaphragm 121 and the plunger 122 have a closed position andan open position. FIG. 4 shows the diaphragm 121 and the plunger 122 inthe closed position. FIG. 7, discussed below, shows the diaphragm 121and the plunger 122 in the open position.

In the closed position shown in FIG. 4, a chamber closure member 160 forsealing the chamber's opening is attached to the plunger 122. Thechamber closure member 160 is configured for cooperating with the innerwall 113 and seal the chamber 150 when the diaphragm 121 and the plunger122 are in the closed position.

Referring to FIGS. 9-13, the chamber closure member 160 is a disc-likestructure having a sealing surface 167 along its periphery forcooperating with the inner wall 113 for sealing the chamber 150. Theinner wall 113 has a corresponding sealing surface that cooperates withthe sealing surface 167 of the chamber closure member 160 for sealingthe chamber 150.

The sealing surface 167 of the chamber closure member 160 comprises aninner sealing surface 167 a and an outer sealing surface 167 b. Theinner sealing surface 167 a is configured to cooperate withcorresponding inner sealing surface 113 a on the inner wall 113 and theouter sealing surface 167 b is configured to cooperate with thecorresponding outer sealing surface 113 b on the inner wall 113. Thesesealing surfaces are referred to as “inner” or “outer” for theirrespective proximity to the interior of the chamber 150. The sealingsurfaces 167 a and 113 a are closer to the interior of the chamber 150than the sealing surfaces 167 b and 113 b.

The inner sealing surfaces 167 a and 113 a form a seal againstconditions where the external ambient pressure is higher than theinternal ambient pressure inside the chamber 150. The outer sealingsurfaces 167 b and 113 b form a seal against conditions where theinternal ambient pressure in the chamber 150 is higher than the externalambient pressure. This is achieved by the particular geometry andconfiguration of the sealing surfaces 167 a, 167 b, 113 a and 113 bfurther explained below.

These cooperating sealing surfaces on the chamber closure member 160 andthe inner wall 113 are configured to form a seal against each other byinterference fitting. This means that the diameter of the chamberclosure member 160 along its sealing surface 167 is larger than theinside diameter of the opening formed by the sealing surfaces on theinner wall 113 by a predetermined amount. Thus, when the chamber closuremember 160 is inserted into the chamber opening formed by the inner wall113, the sealing surface 167 of the chamber closure member 160 pressesoutwardly against the corresponding sealing surface on the inner wall113 and creates an interference fit. FIG. 13 illustrates this by showingthe sealing surfaces 167 a, 167 b of the chamber closure member 160overlapping with the corresponding sealing surfaces 113 a, 113 b of theinner wall 113. In one embodiment, the chamber closure member 160 andthe inner wall 113 form a liquid tight seal.

As shown in FIG. 12, according to one embodiment, the mating innersealing surfaces 167 a and 113 a are sloped at about 30-32° relative tothe longitudinal axis L of the body portion 111. This slope angle islabeled as δ in FIG. 12. The mating outer sealing surfaces 167 b and 113b are sloped at about 10-12° relative to the longitudinal axis L. Thisslope angle is labeled as β in FIG. 12. In a preferred embodiment, theslope angle δ is 31° and the slope angle β is 11° relative to thelongitudinal axis L.

Referring to FIGS. 7-11, the chamber closure member 160 has a top sidethat faces the closed top side of the body portion and a bottom sidethat faces away from the chamber. The plunger is attached to the chamberclosure member 160 near the center of the chamber closure member 160. Inan embodiment, the plunger and the chamber closure member are configuredto be press-fitted to each other as shown in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. Asan example, the chamber closure member 160 is provided with a plungerreceiving cavity 165 as identified in FIGS. 9 and 11 and the plunger is122 is provided with a protruding member 122 a having an annular rib 122b for press-fitting into the cavity 165. The area A identified in FIG. 7where the plunger 122 and the chamber closure member 160 are attached isshown in a close up detailed view in FIG. 8.

According to an embodiment, the chamber closure member 160 is providedwith stress-relieving depressions 162, 163 on the top side. When anactivating force is applied to the diaphragm and as the plunger 122pushes down on the chamber closure member 160 while moving from theclosed position to the open position, the stress-relieving depressions162, 163 enable the chamber closure member to elastically collapse andfacilitate unsealing of the chamber closure member 160 from the innerwall 113. Elastically collapsing refers to the chamber closure member160 folding like an umbrella, albeit slightly, to facilitate unsealingof the chamber closure member 160 from the inner wall 113. The slope ofthe outer sealing surfaces 167 b and 113 b enables unsealing of thechamber closure member 160 as the chamber closure member is pushed outof the closed position by the plunger 122, the elastic collapsing of thechamber closure member further facilitates the unsealing action.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the stress-relieving depressions 162, 163can comprise an annular depression 162 and a plurality of radiallyoriented depressions 163. In one embodiment, the radially orienteddepressions 163 are arranged at about 45° from one another and pointingradially outward from the center of the chamber closure member 160 inorder to optimize the collapsing effect of the chamber closure member.

Referring back to FIG. 4, dispensing cap 100 has a receptacle 112defined between the body portion 111 and the inner wall 113 forreceiving a mouth of a container. As shown in the example of FIG. 5, thereceptacle 112 can include a screw threading 130 for threadably engagingthe corresponding screw threading 230 on the mouth of a container 200and connecting the dispensing cap 100 to the mouth of a container 200.The mouth of the container 200 thus forms a seal at the far end 112 a ofthe receptacle 112 thereby sealing the contents 400 of the container 200therein when the dispensing cap is mounted for use on the container 200.In FIG. 5, the dispensing cap 100 is fully assembled and the chamber 150is holding an additive substance 300. The additive substance can be in aliquid form or a powder form.

FIG. 7 shows the dispensing cap 100 in an open configuration where theadditive substance 300 is being dispensed into the container 200 andmixing with the content 400 of the container 200. The content 400 can bea liquid beverage or a medicament. As shown, the diaphragm 121 and theplunger 122 are pushed downward and in their open position. The plunger122 has pushed the chamber closure member 160 downward unsealing thechamber closure member 160 from the sealing surfaces of the inner wall113.

As shown in FIGS. 4-7, according to another embodiment, the dispensingcap 100 can further comprise a tamper ring 135 for preventingunintentional unthreading of the dispensing cap 100 from the mouth ofthe container 200. The tamper ring 135 has a structure similar to manytamper rings found on various beverage holding containers. The tamperring 135, if one is provided, is removably attached to the bottom end ofthe body portion 111 and has a plurality of flaps 137. When thedispensing cap 100 is mounted onto the mouth of the container 200, theflaps 137 get folded inward and up as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and theflaps 137 interfere with annular protrusions on the mouth of thecontainer 200 and prevents unintentional unthreading of the dispensingcap 100. In order to remove the dispensing cap 100 from the container200, after the dispensing cap 100 is activated and the content of thechamber 150 is dispensed into the container 200, the user can forciblyunscrew the dispensing cap 100 from the container which tears thebreakable joint between the tamper ring 135 and the body portion 111.

In another embodiment, the receptacle 112 is configured for snap-fittingonto the mouth of a container 200, thereby sealing contents of thecontainer therein when the dispensing cap is mounted for use on thecontainer.

In another embodiment, the dispensing cap 100 can further comprise aflip-top lid 117 that is attached to the body portion 111 by a hinge118. A locking ridge 115 is provided on the body portion 111 for lockingthe flip-top lid 117 closed over the diaphragm 121 and preventaccidental actuation of the diaphragm 121.

The chamber closure member 160 and the plunger 122 are configured to bepress-fitted to each other and the flip-top lid 170 is provided with adiaphragm supporting pedestal 117 a for supporting the diaphragm 121during assembly of the dispensing cap when the chamber closure member isbeing pressed on to the plunger and seal the chamber.

Referring to FIGS. 14-17, a chamber closure member 160 a according toanother embodiment is disclosed. As with the chamber closure member 160,the chamber closure member 160 a is configured to couple to a plunger,such as the plunger 122. Provided on the top side of the chamber closuremember 160 a is a stress-relieving depression 172. The stress-relievingdepression 172 is an annular depression extending circumferentiallyabout the outer periphery of the chamber closure member 160 a. Thechamber closure member 160 has a radius R and the annular depression 172has a width W that is about 1/11 to 2/11 of the radius R. The width W ofthe annular depression 172 is not too wide so that the bulk of thechamber closure member 160 a does not get too thin. The annulardepression 172 is provided to be closer to the periphery of the chamberclosure member 160 a. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the annulardepression 172 is positioned to be within a region that is R/2 from theouter edge E of the chamber closure member. Having the annulardepression 172 close to the periphery allows the periphery portion 167 cof the chamber closure member 160 a to flex or collapse inward and helpto unseal the chamber closure member 160 a from the sealing surfaces ofthe inner wall 113 when the plunger 122 pushes the chamber closuremember downward.

When an activating force is applied to the diaphragm and as the plunger122 pushes down on the chamber closure member 160 a while moving fromthe closed position to the open position, the stress-relievingdepression 172 on the top side of the chamber closure member 160 benable the chamber closure member to elastically collapse and facilitateunsealing of the chamber closure member 160 b from the inner wall 113.Elastically collapsing refers to the chamber closure member 160 bfolding like an umbrella, albeit slightly, to facilitate unsealing ofthe chamber closure member 160 b from the inner wall 113.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, the chamber closure member 160 a may beprovided with a bottom side depression 168. The depth of the bottom sidedepression 168 can be adjusted to obtain the desired thickness for thechamber closure member 160 a.

Referring to FIGS. 18-21, a chamber closure member 160 b according toanother embodiment is disclosed. The chamber closure member 160 b isalso configured to couple to the plunger 122. The chamber closure member160 b is provided with one or more stress-relieving depressions on itstop side. Similar to the chamber closure member 160, provided on the topside of the chamber closure member 160 b are the first stress-relievingannular depression 162 extending circumferentially about an innercircumference of the chamber closure member 160 b and the radiallyextending stress-relieving depressions 163. Furthermore, similar to thechamber closure member 160 a, the chamber closure member 160 b isfurther provided with a second stress-relieving annular depression 172 aon the top side extending circumferentially about the outer periphery ofthe chamber closure member 160 b, similar to the annular depression 172of the chamber closure member 160 a. The second annular depression 172 ais provided between the radially extending stress-relieving depressions163 and the periphery of the chamber closure member 160 b.

As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, similar to the chamber closure member 160a, the chamber closure member 160 b can also be provided with thebottom-side depression 168 on its bottom side.

In some embodiments, the radially oriented depressions 163 extend fromthe first annular depression 162 to the second annular depression 172 a.The radially oriented depressions 163 can extend at least partially intothe second annular depression 172 a. The radially oriented depressions163 can provide a continuous flexible area extending between the firstannular depression 162 and the second annular depression 172 a in orderto optimize the collapsing effect of the chamber closure member 160 b.

When an activating force is applied to the diaphragm and as the plunger122 pushes down on the chamber closure member 160 b while moving fromthe closed position to the open position, the stress-relievingdepressions 162, 163, and 172 a on the top side of the chamber closuremember 160 b enable the chamber closure member to elastically collapseand facilitate unsealing of the chamber closure member 160 b from theinner wall 113. Elastically collapsing refers to the chamber closuremember 160 b folding like an umbrella, albeit slightly, to facilitateunsealing of the chamber closure member 160 b from the inner wall 113.The slope of the outer sealing surfaces 167 b and 113 b also enablesunsealing of the chamber closure member 160 b along with the elasticcollapsing of the chamber closure member, as the chamber closure memberis pushed out of the closed position by the plunger 122.

Existing bottle designs can be used with no modifications bottle can beeasily recycled it will have no contaminants molded into itenvironmentally friendly. The container lids disclosed herein can bemanufactured from several materials including but not limited topolymers, composites and flexible metal alloys.

According to another embodiment, a dispensing cap for use with acontainer where the dispensing cap is filled with a quantity of anadditive substance is described. The dispensing cap comprises agenerally cylindrically-shaped body portion having a closed top end andan open bottom end. The closed top end is integrally formed with thebody portion and comprises a diaphragm portion. A generallycylindrically-shaped inner wall axially extends from the closed top endtowards the open bottom end of the body portion and defines a chamber.The chamber has an opening towards the open bottom end of the bodyportion that is removably sealed by a chamber closure member. A quantityof an additive substance is provided in the chamber. The body portionand the inner wall define a receptacle therebetween for receiving amouth of the container from the open bottom end of the body portion andsealing the mouth of the container. A plunger axially extending from thediaphragm portion towards the opening of the chamber is provided in thechamber. The diaphragm and the plunger have a closed position and anopen position, and whilst holding the additive substance in the chamber,the diaphragm and the plunger are in the closed position until a useractivates the diaphragm and the plunger to dispense the additivesubstance.

The structure of the dispensing cap of the present disclosure isscalable for several different sizes of liquid containers. The volume ofthe single chamber design allows for dispensing additive substances,such as, flavorings, vitamins, energy boosting formulation, medication,purification and tranquil drinks or any combination of theseingredients.

It is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for theparts of the dispensing cap described herein, to include variations insize, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assemblyand use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in theart, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in thedrawings and described in the specification are intended to beencompassed by the present invention.

Although the invention has been described using a few exampleembodiments, the scope of the invention described herein is to bedefined and limited only by the appended claims and include othervariants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the scope and range ofequivalents of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispensing cap for a container, the dispensingcap comprising: a generally cylindrically-shaped body portion having aclosed top end and an open bottom end, the closed top end comprising adiaphragm portion; a generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall axiallyextending from the closed top end towards the open bottom end of thegenerally cylindrically-shaped body portion and defining a chamber forholding an additive substance, wherein the chamber has an openingtowards the open bottom end of the generally cylindrically-shaped bodyportion; the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and thegenerally cylindrically-shaped inner wall defining a receptacletherebetween for receiving a mouth of the container from the open bottomend of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and sealing themouth of the container; a plunger axially extending from the diaphragmportion towards the opening of the chamber, wherein the diaphragm andthe plunger have a closed position and an open position; and a chamberclosure member for sealing the chamber's opening attached to theplunger, wherein the chamber closure member is a disc-like structurehaving a sealing surface along its periphery and the generallycylindrically-shaped inner wall has a corresponding sealing surface thatcooperates with the sealing surface of the chamber closure member forsealing the chamber when the diaphragm and the plunger are in the closedposition, wherein the chamber closure member has a top side that facesthe closed top end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portionand a bottom side that faces away from the chamber, and further whereinthe chamber closure member is provided with one or more stress-relievingdepressions on the top side, thereby when an activating force is appliedto the diaphragm and the plunger is being moved from the closed positionto the open position, the one or more stress-relieving depressionsenable the chamber closure member to elastically collapse and facilitateunsealing of the chamber closure member from the generallycylindrically-shaped inner wall, and wherein the chamber closure memberis provided with a bottom side depression for controlling the thicknessof the chamber closing member, wherein the one or more stress-relievingdepressions comprise a first annular depression extendingcircumferentially along a periphery of the chamber closure member,wherein the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion, the closed topend, the plunger, and the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall areintegrally formed.
 2. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, the oneor more stress-relieving depressions further comprising: a secondannular depression extending circumferentially about the chamber closuremember, wherein the second annular depression has a smaller diameterthan the first annular depression; and a plurality of radially orienteddepressions extending between the first annular depression and thesecond annular depression.
 3. The dispensing cap according to claim 1,wherein the sealing surface of the chamber closure member comprising aninner sealing surface and an outer sealing surface, wherein the innersealing surface is configured to cooperate with the correspondingsurface on the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall to seal againsthigher external ambient pressure condition and the outer sealing surfaceis configured to cooperate with the corresponding surface on thegenerally cylindrically-shaped inner wall to seal against higherinternal ambient pressure condition.
 4. The dispensing cap according toclaim 3, wherein the inner sealing surface is sloped at about 30°-32°relative to the longitudinal axis of the generally cylindrically-shapedbody portion.
 5. The dispensing cap according to claim 3, wherein theouter sealing surface is sloped at about 10°-12° relative to thelongitudinal axis of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion. 6.The dispensing cap according to claim 1, wherein the chamber closuremember and the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall form a liquidtight seal.
 7. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, wherein thereceptacle includes a screw threading for threadably connecting thedispensing cap to the mouth of the container, thereby sealing contentsof the container therein when the dispensing cap is mounted for use onthe container.
 8. The dispensing cap according to claim 7, furthercomprising a tamper ring for preventing unintentional unthreading of thedispensing cap from the mouth of the container.
 9. The dispensing capaccording to claim 1, wherein the receptacle is configured forsnap-fitting onto the mouth of a container, thereby sealing contents ofthe container therein when the dispensing cap is mounted for use on thecontainer.
 10. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, furthercomprising a flip-top lid that is attached to the generallycylindrically-shaped body portion by a hinge and a locking ridgeprovided on the body portion for locking the flip-top lid closed overthe diaphragm and prevent accidental actuation of the diaphragm.
 11. Thedispensing cap according to claim 10, wherein the chamber closure memberand the plunger are configured to be press-fitted to each other and theflip-top lid is provided with a diaphragm supporting pedestal forsupporting the diaphragm during assembly of the dispensing cap when thechamber closure member is being pressed on to the plunger and seal thechamber.
 12. A dispensing cap for a container, the dispensing capcomprising: a generally cylindrically-shaped body portion having aclosed top end and an open bottom end, the closed top end comprising adiaphragm portion; a generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall axiallyextending from the closed top end towards the open bottom end of thegenerally cylindrically-shaped body portion and defining a chamber forholding an additive substance, wherein the chamber has an openingtowards the open bottom end of the generally cylindrically-shaped bodyportion; the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and thegenerally cylindrically-shaped inner wall defining a receptacletherebetween for receiving a mouth of the container from the open bottomend of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and sealing themouth of the container; a plunger axially extending from the diaphragmportion towards the opening of the chamber, wherein the diaphragm andthe plunger have a closed position and an open position; and a chamberclosure member for sealing the chamber's opening attached to theplunger, wherein the chamber closure member is a disc-like structurehaving a sealing surface along its periphery and the generallycylindrically-shaped inner wall has a corresponding sealing surface thatcooperates with the sealing surface of the chamber closure member forsealing the chamber when the diaphragm and the plunger are in the closedposition, wherein the chamber closure member has a top side that facesthe closed top end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portionand a bottom side that faces away from the chamber, and further whereinthe chamber closure member is provided with a stress-relievingdepression on the top side, thereby when an activating force is appliedto the diaphragm and the plunger is being moved from the closed positionto the open position, the stress-relieving depression enables thechamber closure member to elastically collapse and facilitate unsealingof the chamber closure member from the generally cylindrically-shapedinner wall, wherein the stress-relieving depression is an annulardepression extending circumferentially along a periphery of the chamberclosure member.
 13. The dispensing cap according to claim 12, whereinthe chamber closure member is provided with a bottom side depression forcontrolling the thickness of the chamber closure member.
 14. Thedispensing cap according to claim 12, wherein the receptacle includes ascrew threading for threadably connecting the dispensing cap to themouth of the container, thereby sealing contents of the containertherein when the dispensing cap is mounted for use on the container. 15.The dispensing cap according to claim 12, further comprising a flip-toplid that is attached to the generally cylindrically-shaped body portionby a hinge and a locking ridge provided on the generallycylindrically-shaped body portion for locking the flip-top lid closedover the diaphragm and prevent accidental actuation of the diaphragm.16. The dispensing cap according to claim 15, wherein the chamberclosure member and the plunger are configured to be press-fitted to eachother and the flip-top lid is provided with a diaphragm supportingpedestal for supporting the diaphragm during assembly of the dispensingcap when the chamber closure member is being pressed on to the plungerand seal the chamber.